Mawlana Sultan Mohamed Shah and others on Meditation

Discussion on doctrinal issues
swamidada_1
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Post by swamidada_1 »

kmaherali wrote:
swamidada wrote: What MSMS's Farmans on meditation have to do with mindfulness of killer soldiers?
In Islamic history, wars have been fought and soldiers prayed for strength, focus and fortitude.
It is a centuries old practice that armies be they Muslim or non Muslim prayed before starting of battles and wars. Even today before starting wars by American or European armies Chaplain pray for success and safety of soldiers.
It is hard to meditate or do yoga during noisy engagement of fighting.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

swamidada wrote: It is hard to meditate or do yoga during noisy engagement of fighting.
The article does not say that they have to meditate when fighting but rather to sue meditation as a technique to improve their shooting skills:

"This winter, Army infantry soldiers at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii began using mindfulness to improve shooting skills — for instance, focusing on when to pull the trigger amid chaos to avoid unnecessary civilian harm."
swamidada_1
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Post by swamidada_1 »

kmaherali wrote:
swamidada wrote: It is hard to meditate or do yoga during noisy engagement of fighting.
The article does not say that they have to meditate when fighting but rather to sue meditation as a technique to improve their shooting skills:

"This winter, Army infantry soldiers at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii began using mindfulness to improve shooting skills — for instance, focusing on when to pull the trigger amid chaos to avoid unnecessary civilian harm."
In my opinion; focusing on when to pull the trigger amid chaos depends upon the judgement of a soldier and sniper techniques. It is hard to keep mind cool when severe fighting is going on.
It is better they use meditation techniques for PTSD and injured soldiers.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Think Yoga and Mindfulness in Public Schools Are a No-Brainer? Think Again

Excerpt:

Are school yoga and mindfulness religious practices? It depends who you ask, and whether the legal context is First Amendment religious free exercise clause protection or establishment clause restriction. For example, in 2011, Dr. Glenn Mendoza sued New York’s Good Samaritan Hospital for religious discrimination against him as a practitioner of Arhatic Yoga, Pranic Healing, and Superbrain Yoga. In this context, Mendoza described yoga as “devoted spiritual practice rooted in religion and ancient spiritual teachings of meditation . . . no different than being Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic or Muslim.” In 2012, Mendoza sought to co-found a public charter school based on these same yoga and meditation practices—this time arguing that the practices are purely “secular,” “educational” tools. Pennsylvania’s Charter Appear Board denied the application, finding it legally unacceptable to define a practice as “religious” in one context and “educational” in another, based on legal convenience.

As I recently explained to The Conversation, one of the most influential popularizers of mindfulness, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a molecular biologist who founded the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, has acknowledged that he wants the term “mindfulness” to do “double duty.” He intends for people to equate mindfulness with “paying attention” even as he understands the term as an “umbrella” for the essence of Buddhism.

Many advocates of school yoga and mindfulness are no doubt sincere when they speak of these practices as secular resources that are desperately needed by an education system rife with stress, obesity, drugs, bullying, violence, under-achievement, and over-saturation with technology.

But certain proponents have admitted to trying to slip religion into schools under the radar. Hinduism Today calls school yoga a “Vedic Victory,” and Buddhist Geeks dubs school mindfulness “Stealth Buddhism.”

Regardless of motives, research suggests that “secularizing” yoga and mindfulness—by subtracting language, gestures, and objects linked with Hinduism, Buddhism, and other spiritual traditions—may not be enough to remove religious effects. Studies show that participants in “secular” yoga and mindfulness are more likely to report spiritual experiences and develop spiritual motives the longer they practice.

More...

https://rewire.news/religion-dispatches ... ink-again/
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Yoga Is Finally Facing Consent and Unwanted Touch

Yoga students and studios are grappling with inappropriate, manipulative and exploitative teachers and teachings.


Rachel Brathen had no idea of the deluge headed her way when she asked her Instagram followers if they ever had experienced touch that felt inappropriate in yoga.

This was nearly two years ago. Ms. Brathen, 31 and a yoga studio owner in Aruba, heard from hundreds.

The letters described a constellation of abuses of power and influence, including being propositioned after class and on yoga retreats, forcibly kissed during private meditation sessions and assaulted on post-yoga massage tables.

The complaints also included being touched in ways that felt improper during yoga classes — essentially right in public.

More than 130 of the people who responded gave Ms. Brathen permission to turn their stories over to someone who could help bring accountability.

Other professionals whose work can involve touching people, such as massage therapists, are usually regulated by the government. Yoga teachers are not, and there are no industry trade groups that police these issues.

So Ms. Brathen, the author of “Yoga Girl,” wrote a few blog posts with redacted excerpts from the letters. That’s all that came from it.

About five months later, in April 2018, nine women went public in a magazine article about their treatment at the hands of one of yoga’s most important, influential and revered gurus.

Again, very little happened.

Photos and more...

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/08/styl ... 3053091110
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Faraz Ramji Meditation - Triggers and a Body Scan

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... HCP3TLef0w
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Faraz Ramji Meditation - Compassion and Empathy

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKVy7m0--MA
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Mindful Moments: 1. Mindfulness of Body & Breath

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... ohCXZqzUyk

Some of us will be spending more time with loved ones at home and others will be spending more time away from family during the COVID19 Pandemic. Any change to our daily routine can cause stress. Mindfulness is proven to help with stress, anxiety and depression. Aga Khan Health Board has developed this bespoke video to help us on our mindful journey.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Yoga Flow With Taslim Savji

Go with the flow- a yoga session with Taslim Savji. Build strength, agility, and mobility through her 30 minute Yoga Class.
Suitable for all levels

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvqQ80bLL1M
swamidada_2
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Post by swamidada_2 »

Salat (Du'a, Namaz) is derived from 'waslat', adhesion, approaching; the exoterics understand by this ' to adhere to certain particular ordinances in prayer;, and the esoterics,"the adhesion of the lover to the beloved". Quran says about the eternal prayer," Al lazina hum ala salatihim da'imun ", means they are always in eternal prayers. The lover is always drowned in the love of beloved; the others, i.e the fixed zahiri salats are directed to Qibla, and the eternal prayer is directed towards He who is above all else.
ANDAR BAITH MAIN NAMAZ GUZARU(N)
MURAKH KIYA JANEY TA'AT HAMAARI
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Why Awakening Matters

Dear Karim,

I’ve been sharing a lot of meditation resources with you lately, in part because this is a stressful time for many of us and I know what a powerful role meditation can play in helping us find perspective and step out of reactivity into a deeper, more stable center.

But if you’ve been following the articles, audios and videos I’ve been posting on my blog https://integralenlightenment.com/home/articles/ , you’ve probably noticed that the deeper focus of my work is on spiritual awakening itself.

I’m passionate about teaching meditation not because it can help you relax, but because it is a profound practice to catalyze and stabilize awakened consciousness.

And awakened consciousness, from my perspective, is the ultimate game-changer for human life, personally and collectively.

Many people gravitate toward meditation as a spiritual practice, and that’s largely good news because meditation can be one of the most direct paths to spiritual depth.

But many of us also find meditation a bit inaccessible and wonder if there are other ways to both access profound awakening and bring it into our lives.

Are there potent spiritual practices that we can do off the meditation cushion and amidst the dynamism and swirl of daily life?

Not only is my answer to this question a resounding “yes”; I would go so far as to say that for our spiritual practice to be truly transformational, we need to find a way to bring it into every moment of our lives, until everything we do is infused with the energy and wisdom of enlightenment.

So, after three months of blogging about meditation, I’m going to now turn my attention to the other half of spiritual life—spiritual practice in action or what I’ve come to call “awakened life practice.”

Over the next month, I’ll be sharing a series of articles, audios and videos to support you in taking your spiritual practice out into the world so that you can discover for yourself the extraordinary possibility of living a truly awakened life.

To begin, I want to share a blog post with you in which I write about the critical importance of connecting with a “deeper why” for your spiritual path.

Why Awakening Matters: The Deeper Purpose of Spiritual Practice

https://integralenlightenment.com/home/ ... -practice/

In our self-help crazed modern world, spirituality has often been mislabeled as yet another way to improve your life, upgrade your happiness and find peace and fulfillment.

But, in its true essence, spiritual awakening is about something much bigger than your personal happiness.

And connecting with that greater sense of purpose is what will ultimately give your spiritual practice the power to transform you.

You can read the full article on my blog here.
https://integralenlightenment.com/home/ ... -practice/

With Love,
swamidada_2
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Post by swamidada_2 »

kmaherali wrote:Why Awakening Matters

But, in its true essence, spiritual awakening is about something much bigger than your personal happiness.

And connecting with that greater sense of purpose is what will ultimately give your spiritual practice the power to transform you.

You can read the full article on my blog here.
https://integralenlightenment.com/home/ ... -practice/

With Love,
It reminds me following quatrains of Kalalm e Mowla:

maeraaj khudaakaa rasul paayaa, jeene sab raat keetee hak ba(n)dagee;
so maeraaj momeenku(n) hove, jo deelse neekaale sab duneeyaa ga(n)dakee;
raatku(n) jaage ek dhee-aansu(n), payarvee rasulkee kare keerdaar;
to us momanku(n) maeraaj hove, apane rabakaa deedaar............170

The Messenger(rasul) attained the ascension(maeraaj) of God, he performed the true servanthood every night. This ascension is possible for a momin, if from his heart he removes all the dirt of the world. At night he stays up with concentration and follows the path of the Messenger to the Creator. Then this momin experiences the Ascension by virtue of his Lord's Vision (deedaar).

malakal mot to sab par aave, sab ba(n)dekee le jaataa hay jaan;
ees marane aagal jo mar chale, so mar kar paave amar makaan;
aysaa maranaa jo mar jaane, vaasal hak vo kaamal fakeer;
e darajaa paave so valee keelaave, e faramaayaa hazarat aap ameer.......245

The angel of death comes upon every person, and know that it takes away every creature. But if one dies before such death, than he will attain an immortal abode after death. If one knows about dying such a death, he knows it as a true return of a perfect renunciant. If one attains such a station, he is regarded as a (perfect) saint, so says Hazarat Ali.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

If your mind wanders in meditation

Dear Karim,

As a meditation teacher, there is no question I get more often than: “What do I do about my wandering mind?”

Whether you’ve done a lot of meditation or just a little, you’ve probably noticed that it’s hard to get through a meditation session without spending at least some time distracted by thoughts.

But is a wandering mind really a problem in meditation?

I was asked this question by a student recently and I’m writing today to share my answer https://integralenlightenment.com/home/ ... e=hs_email with you, as I know this is a question almost all of us grapple with at some point on our path.

In my new blog post, Why a Wandering Mind Doesn’t Mean You’re Not Meditating, I share a controversial perspective on the perennial battle with “the monkey mind.”

I hope you find the article illuminating, and that it enables you to make a newfound peace with your active mind, whether or not it ever calms down.

You can read the full piece here.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Dare to Let Go of Your Mind: The Mature Innocence of Living in the Unknown

QUESTION:

I’m confident in my ability to let go of my mind and my thoughts during meditation, but the idea of doing this in the midst of daily life scares me. In theory, I really like the idea of living in the unknown, but I have a job and a social life that require me to use my mind. How does one fully let go of the mind while still functioning in society?

ANSWER:

That’s a great question. First, I’d like to answer your question with a question: What do you think would happen to your mind if you let go of it? I find this to be a useful thought experiment because many of us have this irrational, though completely natural, fear of letting go of the mind.

Human beings, for the most part, have an unquestioned assumption that if we let go of clinging to this thing called the mind, something bad will happen to it or it will cease to function or even disappear. There’s a subtle belief that if we don’t obsessively hold on to our minds, we might go insane, or become some kind of vegetable.

This fear is completely natural. For most of us, our minds completely dominate our reality. Most of us identify so strongly with our compulsive thought stream, it’s as if it’s wrapped around our faces and we can’t see the world other than through our thoughts. There is no direct contact with reality. We may have moments when our thoughts cease temporarily, but then they come back and we’re lost in the mind once again.

The mind, for most of us, is our fundamental source of identification. It’s reality. That’s just what the human condition is at this point in our collective evolution. And so we’re terrified of the reality that lies beyond it, because we’ve never really dared to peer beyond the veil of our mind.

So when I’m talking about letting go of the mind, I’m really talking about letting go of this deep and unbroken attachment to it. We’re letting go of our identification with the mind.

What we discover through meditation (or through any process of real awakening) is that we are not our thoughts. We can pay attention to them, or even be interested in them, but we are not mistakenly believing that we are them.

When we stop identifying with the mind, we find that it continues to function as it always has. We’re just not lost in it. We realize that the mind continues its cyclical patterns regardless of whether we give it any attention. Even when we’ve completely disidentified with the mind and lost interest in it, it carries on.

Ultimately, we want to get to the place where we experience a fundamental liberation from the mind. At that point, a really mysterious thing happens. We begin to realize we’re not the mind after all. In fact, we see that we’re not even creating our thoughts. The mind is doing its own thing. It’s like a machine. We can pay attention to it. We can be interested in it. We can give energy and attention to it. Or we can simply let it carry on. Regardless of whether we give it attention or not, it just keeps doing the same thing.

If you’ve ever done an extended meditation retreat, this mechanistic nature of mind becomes very clear. After you’ve been meditating consistently for four or five days, you start to see that the mind follows a cyclical pattern. You see how mechanical it is. It just keeps doing its thing. It has a life of its own. And you learn to just let it keep doing its thing.

Relating to our minds in this way requires us to let go of the need to know and embrace the unknown. We have to let go of our need for certainty. We have to stop trying to control our minds.

Living in the unknown can be scary, but there’s a very beautiful and mysterious dimension to it. When you’re not attached to your mind, or clinging onto it, or trying to control it, you find that your mind starts to function in a completely different way.

A mysterious creative process starts to emerge within you. You start to have insights that seem to come from nowhere. You find a kind of spontaneous wisdom coming from your lips that you didn’t invent. It’s not you that’s forming the wisdom. It’s coming from somewhere mysterious that you can’t even know.

When you stop trying to control your mind, you start to function in a more natural, fluid way. Life just flows. You find this confidence to walk into difficult, high-stakes situations completely open, innocent, and empty-handed. You begin to trust that what you need to know will show up and that the energy you need to meet the challenge will arise.

This is where living a life of faith really comes into play. Letting go of your mind, in a sense, means having faith that there’s a greater consciousness, or intelligence, or power and energy force that will show up within you, when you need it.

It’s important to note that the openness I’m talking about isn’t naivete. I’m not suggesting you have the innocence of a little baby who doesn’t really know anything and relies entirely on outside forces. This is a mature innocence where everything we know and everything we have learned remains available to us. It’s just that we’re not holding on to any of it.

This way of relating to your mind might sound simple, but it represents a categorical shift in how human beings operate. It runs completely counter to the way we’re conditioned, which makes it difficult to put into practice. And unfortunately, there’s no quick trick for how to get there.

But you can begin to cultivate your interest in going beyond the mind. You can actively practice letting go of the mind. You can start relinquishing your need to know and seeing what happens. For example, if you have an important meeting to attend and you find yourself trying to premeditate your responses before the meeting starts, it’s a good time to stop yourself and recognize that you’re trying to control the situation. Bring yourself back to your intention, and decide to just show up to the meeting, innocent and fresh. I’m confident that you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

The more you do this, even in small situations, the more you’ll experience how much better things tend to work out when you dare to let go. You’ll see how holding on too tightly and trying to control outcomes just doesn’t work as well as being open and fluid and innocent.

You’ll start to see your feeble attempts to control your mind as a profound limiting factor on the glorious potential of this human life which could be so magical and amazing if you lived in this more innocent, open and fluid way. And this will inspire in you a deep burning intention to let go.

https://integralenlightenment.com/home/ ... e=hs_email
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Post by Admin »

kmaherali wrote:It is an excellent and enlightened article on meditation. I do recognise some of the statements as being parts of Farmans of MSMS. Perhaps this article is a compilation of various statements of MSMS.

There is no source to my knowledge that Sultan Muhammad Shah wrote this article. If anyone has to the contrary, please let me know.

It is dangerous to base one's faith on writings purported to be from the Imam which may be fake articles. I urge everyone to verify first. I have seen the article starting this thread and purportedly attributed to Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah circulating recently like wild fire and frankly I would think that parts of that article is completely inconsistency with Mowlana Sultan Muhammad Shah's thought. I personally would not put more time into it. Unless a credible source contemporary to his Imamat is found.

I have therefore changed the title of this thread.

Admin
swamidada
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Post by swamidada »

kmaherali wrote:Dare to Let Go of Your Mind: The Mature Innocence of Living in the Unknown

A mysterious creative process starts to emerge within you. You start to have insights that seem to come from nowhere. You find a kind of spontaneous wisdom coming from your lips that you didn’t invent. It’s not you that’s forming the wisdom. It’s coming from somewhere mysterious that you can’t even know.


From where the ideas are coming in mind? There is some one inside me putting ideas mysteriously in my mind. In my experience, when ever I wanted to understand Quranic Ayat or couplet of Ginan or any sufi poetry I meditated, concentrated and got that understanding. Same happened with me during prorie bandagi for spiritual understanding.
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

Your Replay Link For The Shamanic Journeying Webinar

Hi Karim,

If you missed the Shamanic Journeying webinar yesterday, not to worry.

You can watch the full replay using the link below:

https://www.thesacredscience.com/sandra-workshop-replay

Click here to watch the full replay

We were truly humbled by the gigantic turnout. Hundreds have written in with beautiful messages of gratitude to Sandra for all the healing information she is bringing forward to the world.

This is what tribe is all about.

We're still in awe of the powerful shamanic super storm that Sandra's teachings created during the call. If you haven't seen this talk yet, make sure to check it out while it's still up!

Here's your link again:

http://www.thesacredscience.com/sandra-workshop-replay

Thank you so much for your patience and support. We are honored to be of service to all of you!

Stay curious,

Nick Polizzi
Host of Proven: Healing Breakthroughs Backed By Science
& Founder of The Sacred Science
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

A Quiet Path Out of the Coronavirus Shadow

Mindfulness helped this ER doctor through a dark time. It can help us through these times.


Eleven years ago, I sat down across from a man named Edward Espe Brown. I had returned home to Texas from a four-month stay at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in California, endured a breakup, and was feeling adrift. I told Ed that I was struggling with powerful feelings of sadness and loss. I didn’t know what to do.

I’ve thought often of the conversation we had that afternoon, as the coronavirus pandemic leaves unprecedented uncertainty, anxiety, pain, and fear in its wake. Ed looked down at the table between us, which held two glasses of water, and nodded. His face was impassive, a sort of deep neutral. I waited for what he might tell me. I wanted to know how to deal with these painful emotions. I hoped for some insight that might empower me to overcome them.

Years before, Ed had also gone to Tassajara. In the summer of 1966 he took a job as a dishwasher at what was then Tassajara Hot Springs. The rustic encampment, tucked deep in the Ventana Wilderness of California’s central coast, was 16 miles from the nearest paved road, and still is. A few months after Ed arrived, it was purchased by the San Francisco Zen Center and transformed into the first Zen monastery outside of Asia. Ed stayed on and became a student. He was promoted from dishwasher to chef. He wrote a bestselling book called The Tassajara Bread Book. He became a renowned Zen priest and teacher.

Ed reached for one of the water glasses between us. He picked it up slowly, gently. A sip before dispensing some wisdom, I thought. But before the glass reached his lips, he set it down again. Slowly, gently.

He reached for the glass again. He lifted it and held it up between us. He looked up from the glass to me. “When you lift the glass, lift it with your whole heart and mind,” he said. “Lift it slowly, and gently.” Then he brought the glass to his lips and drank.

What did a glass of water have to do with anything?

I remembered something that the founding abbot of Tassajara, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, had reportedly told Ed when he was struggling to manage the stress of the kitchen. “When you wash the rice, wash the rice. When you cut the carrots, cut the carrots. When you stir the soup, stir the soup,” Suzuki said.

Instead of worrying about the future while cutting the carrots, or dwelling on an argument while stirring the soup, Suzuki meant that we should pay attention to whatever we are doing right now. Focusing your full attention as you wash the rice, instead of allowing the mind to wander far and wide, grounds us in the present. And that sort of grounding, it turns out, can have a profound effect on our thoughts and emotions.

Ed knew there was nothing he could say that would disperse the pain I was experiencing. There was no secret insight. Instead, he demonstrated that something as mundane as lifting a glass could be an opportunity to cultivate mindfulness, the practice of paying close attention to the nature of experience. And through that practice, returned to over and again, I might find some relief from those feelings of sadness and loss.

The impact of COVID-19 on our mental health has been profound. In the ER, where I work as a physician, I’ve seen a surge of patients struggling with overwhelming anxiety and depression. Even those presenting with a physical complaint have experienced incredible hardship and loss. One patient presenting with chest pain told me that he had lost more than a dozen family members to the disease.

Studies suggest that the problem extends far beyond my own experience. According to a CDC study conducted last summer, symptoms of anxiety have increased threefold since 2019.1 Symptoms of depression have increased fourfold. An earlier survey, conducted in April, found that symptoms of serious psychological distress were three times more common than in 2018.2 In September, a survey also found that symptoms of depression were three times more common in March and April than in years past.3 Symptoms of severe depression were seven times more common. Young adults in particular are struggling. One survey found that more than 60 percent were suffering from symptoms of anxiety or depression, and a stunning 25 percent reported that they had contemplated suicide in the last 30 days.1 Mental health researchers have called this wave of depression and anxiety a “second pandemic.”

It’s hard to escape the coronavirus’s shadow. Maybe that’s part of why it’s been so devastating for our mental health. The virus has touched everything. People have lost their jobs. The future of the economy is uncertain. Social connection has been disrupted. Politics have become ever more polarized. Some of those already infected have yet to regain their health. Those of us still well ask ourselves if a scratchy throat or a bit of nausea might be the first sign. We worry whether vaccination will be effective against the new variants. And, of course, there are so many who have been lost.

All of us wonder when things will be normal again, or if they ever will.

Research has begun to unravel how mindfulness can change the body and brain in beneficial ways.

It’s difficult to find a reprieve from these anxieties when we’re surrounded by small daily reminders of the virus. Donning a mask before you step into the grocery store. Remembering to keep six feet apart from other shoppers in the checkout line. Resisting the urge to touch your face. Washing your hands again and again.

What if we took each of these moments as an opportunity to practice mindfulness, rather than reminders of what has gone wrong? Could it help us through these extraordinary times?

Mindfulness has been central to Buddhist traditions for millennia. Its aim is the cessation of mental suffering, which seems profoundly useful, especially in the time of COVID. But for many, the religious trappings of Buddhist practice can be a barrier. I remember struggling with the dark robes, chanting, and incense when I first arrived at Tassajara.

In 1979, an American biologist and student of Zen named Jon Kabat-Zinn began developing a secular approach to mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He was convinced that the mindfulness training embedded within Zen practice could be enormously valuable to Western patients suffering from chronic illness, depression, and anxiety. Kabat-Zinn articulated an accessible definition of mindfulness and developed a program to teach it. And, being a scientist, he studied it.

Kabat-Zinn defined mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”4 The human mind likes to wander, and we’re often not aware of it. We drift into rumination about the future or past. We find ourselves preoccupied with memories or feelings. When these preoccupations involve anxious or difficult thoughts or emotions, it can feel like we have become those thoughts or emotions. It can feel as though we are anxious, rather than simply feeling anxious.

The purpose of mindfulness practice is to notice this tendency of the mind to carry itself away, and to bring attention back to the present. But the noticing, by itself, isn’t everything. It’s also important to withhold judgment of what you observe. It’s easy to rebuke yourself when you realize you’ve been perseverating on a rude encounter on the subway for hours. But it isn’t a constructive response. Instead, notice but don’t judge. Realize that the perseveration is a natural human inclination, and that it will subside. Oftentimes, this realization itself introduces enough mental distance from the cycle of rumination to break it, and allow you to move on.

In the program Kabat-Zinn created to teach mindfulness, called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), he described the practice this way:

Bring your attention to the primary object of observation. Be aware of it from moment to moment. When you notice that the mind has drifted into thought, reverie, and so forth, bring it back to awareness of the present moment, to the observation of what is dominant in that moment.

When a strong feeling or emotion arises (i.e., a state of fear, pain, anger, anxiety), direct your attention to the feeling as it occurs and just be with it, observing it.

Distinguish between observation of the experience itself and thoughts and interpretations of the experience. Observe the thinking process itself. Avoid becoming involved in the content of individual thoughts. Observe them as impermanent mind events and not necessarily accurate. Treat all thoughts as equal in value and neither pursue them nor reject them.

In the early 1980s, Kabat-Zinn used these instructions, in conjunction with breathing and yoga techniques and weekly classroom sessions, to study the usefulness of mindfulness in managing chronic pain.5 It was one of the first attempts to evaluate the practice scientifically, and the results were striking. Fifty-one patients with chronic pain completed the eight week program. More than half of the group reported improvement in their pain by 30 percent, with some reporting an improvement of 50 percent. The researchers also found that symptoms of depression and anxiety improved by 60 percent, on average. It was a small study with bundled interventions and no control group, but it was enough to open the door to further inquiry.

Now, nearly 40 years later, thousands of studies have been published on the effects of mindfulness on everything from blood pressure and rheumatoid arthritis to depression and insomnia. A steady signal has emerged from studies evaluating the effect of mindfulness on mental health in particular.

Washing your hands can be an opening, an invitation to practice, a reminder.

According to a meta-analysis of 96 studies of Kabat-Zinn’s MBSR, one person in five had significant improvement in their mental health,6 which is similar to SSRIs in the treatment of depression and anxiety.7 A 2018 analysis of 18 randomized, controlled studies of MBSR for depression in adolescents found a substantial positive effect in all but one.8 Another analysis of 14 randomized, controlled studies, published in July 2020, found that MBSR reduced symptoms of anxiety among adolescents by an average of 15 percent.9 A small study published earlier this year is especially relevant to me, as an emergency physician—an app-based mindfulness intervention among 34 doctors decreased symptoms of anxiety by nearly 50 percent and emotional exhaustion by 20 percent, although there was no control group.10

It seems surprising that the simple act of paying attention in a particular way could have a significant impact on mental and emotional suffering. But research has begun to unravel how mindfulness can change the body and brain in beneficial ways.

A 2017 meta-analysis of 45 randomized, controlled studies found that mindfulness practice consistently improved physiologic markers of stress, like blood pressure, resting heart rate, cortisol, and inflammation.11 Imaging studies have provided important insight into how mindfulness affects the brain. A 2016 review evaluated 30 studies that used MRI to measure changes in brain structure and function associated with mindfulness practice.12 It found that several regions were consistently affected—the insula, which helps control the sympathetic nervous system; the cingulate cortex, which is involved in emotional processing; the hippocampus, which facilitates learning; and the amygdala, which regulates fear. The default mode network, a system of interconnected brain regions that has also been implicated in depression and anxiety, may also be affected.13 It is responsible for rumination, among other things, and some studies have found that mindfulness practice can modulate the network in a beneficial way.

It’s not hard to see how aberrant activity in these regions could contribute to symptoms of depression and anxiety. An overactive default mode network can predispose to rumination, while aberrant activity in the insula and amygdala can lead to a state of heightened sensitivity and fearfulness. Changes in the cingulate cortex and hippocampus, on the other hand, could allow us to learn how to modulate negative feelings and emotions.

Mindfulness practice isn’t a panacea, and it’s certainly no replacement for medical care if you’re experiencing serious depression or anxiety. But it can be an adjunct, a potentially powerful one, and it’s open to anyone willing to try. Most studies investigating the effect of mindfulness practice on mental health have used structured programs with in-person training, like Kabat-Zinn’s eight week MBSR program. Programs like these can provide a firm and formal foundation for mindfulness practice, and some may now be available virtually.

But informal opportunities for practice, like washing your hands or observing social distancing, can be important too. They can be an opening, an invitation to practice, a reminder. Kabat-Zinn has written that the practice of mindfulness takes “a variety of forms,” from formal activities like sitting meditation to “informal practices that are aimed at cultivating a continuity of awareness in all activities of daily living.”14 These moments can be helpful reminders to return to the practice of paying attention in a particular way, without judgment.

The next time you reach up to pull a mask over your face, you might remember what Ed said to me those years ago, as he raised a glass of water toward me:

“Lift it slowly, gently. Lift it with your whole heart and mind.”

https://nautil.us/issue/98/mind/a-quiet ... b00bf1f6eb
kmaherali
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Post by kmaherali »

“The ideal of the soul is space, immensity,” Wayne says. “The one thing it needs is to be free to expand…and embrace the infinite.” In this enlightening lesson, you’ll see your impersonal self even more clearly as Wayne guides you to understand your own soul—and how all it wants from you is to allow it to grow. He teaches you that when you recognize the light inside you and see only love, even in the darkest of situations, your life will inexplicably transform to the miraculous. Anita Moorjani also takes the stage once more to lead you through the I AM LIGHT meditation, which will align you with the light within.

Watch video:

https://experience.hayhouseu.com/manife ... ose-day-5/
kmaherali
Posts: 25106
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2003 3:01 pm

Post by kmaherali »

28-day global Meditation challenge starts November 15th

Dear Karim,

If you're on a path of personal development, you are no doubt aware of the incredible benefits of meditation.

From reducing our stress to improving our mental focus, to even boosting our immune system, meditation has so many proven benefits it’s a wonder that more people don't do it on a regular basis.

Ironically, one of the biggest obstacles that many people face when they want to start meditating is the daily stress in their life and the restless mind it creates.

With the increasing pace and pressure of our modern life and so many things demanding our attention, many people never find a way to get started. And, unfortunately, because of this, they never get to experience the life-changing benefits of consistent meditation practice.

Fortunately, there are some innovative ways to overcome this obstacle.

One of the most powerful tools I have found to overcome my resistance to meditation is by utilizing cutting-edge brainwave entrainment technology.

By leveraging this incredible scientifically proven technology, many people, like myself, have overcome their resistance to meditation and have established a consistent daily practice.

That's why I'm thrilled to share an inspiring upcoming online event that starts Monday, November 15th with you!

It’s a global online event being presented by Ken Wilber's team at Sacred Media called the 28-Day Meditation Challenge.
https://radiantmind.audio/?oprid=46726&ref=245401

This 28-Day online gathering is being offered to help people from all walks of life and levels of meditation experience cultivate and deepen a daily meditation practice.

So, whether you’ve never meditated before or you have been meditating for decades, this is a great opportunity.

The best part of all is that it’s being offered at no cost.

In addition to the cutting-edge brainwave entrainment meditation audios, a community of aspiring meditation practitioners will be gathering twice each day for 4 weeks in a row.

When hundreds of people gather for a synchronized meditation like this it creates a powerful collective field that takes the daily meditations even deeper.

If this is something that interests you, I encourage you to learn more and sign up for free here.

I hope that you can join me and other like minds and hearts from around the world, for this transformative 28-day meditation journey.

Much love & health,

Stefan

P.S. The 28-Day Meditation Challenge begins on Monday, November 15th at 8 AM Pacific.

To learn more and reserve your space sign up here:

https://radiantmind.audio/?oprid=46726&ref=245401


The 28-Day Meditation Challenge - Global Synchronized Meditation
swamidada
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Post by swamidada »

HEALTH

What is the impact of meditation on immune system? A study finds out
A large-scale genomic study recently revealed robust activation of the immune system is associated with advanced meditation.
Several studies on the impact of yoga and meditation on mental and physical health have demonstrated beneficial effects.(Pixabay)
Several studies on the impact of yoga and meditation on mental and physical health have demonstrated beneficial effects.(Pixabay)
Published on Dec 15, 2021 09:24 AM IST
ANI | | Posted by Parmita Uniyal
A large-scale genomic study recently revealed robust activation of the immune system is associated with advanced meditation.

The study was published in the journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America).

Several studies on the impact of yoga and meditation on mental and physical health have demonstrated beneficial effects. However, the potential molecular mechanisms and critical genes involved in this beneficial outcome have yet to be comprehensively elucidated.

This study identified and characterized the transcriptional program associated with advanced meditation practice, and we bioinformatically integrated various networks to identify meditation-specific core network

The researchers demonstrated that the meditative practice enhanced immune function without activating inflammatory signals. Together, these results make meditation an effective behavioral intervention for treating various conditions associated with a weakened immune syste.

Genomic and bioinformatic analysis on blood samples from 106 volunteers, around 40 years of age, participated in an intensive Samyama meditation retreat, which included spending 8 days in complete silence with more than 10 hours of meditation each day.

The analysis revealed increased expression after meditation of 220 genes tied to immunity, including 68 genes tied to interferon signaling, but no change in the expression of inflammatory genes.

This arouses the unverified possibility that meditation might serve as a beneficial component in behavioral interventions for conditions marked by weakened immunity, according to the authors.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyl ... 51600.html
kmaherali
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Re: Mawlana Sultan Mohamed Shah and others on Meditation

Post by kmaherali »

this “taboo” health condition is at the root of chronic illness

Hi Karim

Did you know that emotional health is often at the root of the physical health hurdles we experience in life?

Dr. Eva Detko, host of the upcoming Sovereign Health Conference: Heal the Psycho-Energetic Root Causes of Chronic Illness, truly understands this.

When it comes to hidden health hurdles, stress, and even trauma… hearing "just meditate" can be infuriating to hear, especially when you’re suffering physically or emotionally. Or worse, you’ve tried it and it doesn’t help.

And it’s not that meditation isn’t important - but it’s only ONE tool in the toolkit. In fact, on day 1 of this event https://www.dr-eva.com/sovereign-health ... 2FkfrV7VtP , you’ll get a superb guided meditation.

AND you will also have an opportunity to experience so much more. The other methods - that most of us never hear about - might just blow your socks off and put you in the driver’s seat for your best life.

This event is fr-ee for 7 days with 40+ talks, lessons, and healing sessions, which will help you:

- Create the reality that you want

- Understand how your mind and your nervous system work (all evidence-based)

- Develop a deeper understanding of yourself and others

- Heal past traumas (for good, not just temporarily)

- Make yourself neurologically, emotionally, and energetically more resilient

This is one of the most important conversations happening globally at a time when stress is the highest it’s ever been https://www.dr-eva.com/sovereign-health ... 2FkfrV7VtP .

Even if you’ve gone through the toughest of times, Dr. Eva’s tools will help you rewire your brain and limit subconscious programs so you can feel empowered and heal traumatic experiences that are contributing to your physical symptoms.

Fact is, there aren’t many of us that HAVEN’T been traumatized in the last couple of years so invite your friends and family to the Sovereign Health Conference.

Grab your seat here because you are about to learn how to heal lifetimes of old trauma so you can think more clearly and go on to live an amazing life.

See you there,

To your health,
Your DrSummits Family

P.S. Please read this: Most people overlook the importance of addressing "psychoenergetic" factors (psychological, emotional, and energetic healing) when trying to heal symptoms and chronic illness.

Yet, this is precisely what makes or breaks the healing process for so many.
kmaherali
Posts: 25106
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2003 3:01 pm

Think Less, Think Better

Post by kmaherali »

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A FRIEND of mine has a bad habit of narrating his experiences as they are taking place. I tease him for being a bystander in his own life. To be fair, we all fail to experience life to the fullest. Typically, our minds are too occupied with thoughts to allow complete immersion even in what is right in front of us.

Sometimes, this is O.K. I am happy not to remember passing a long stretch of my daily commute because my mind has wandered and my morning drive can be done on autopilot. But I do not want to disappear from too much of life. Too often we eat meals without tasting them, look at something beautiful without seeing it. An entire exchange with my daughter (please forgive me) can take place without my being there at all.

Recently, I discovered how much we overlook, not just about the world, but also about the full potential of our inner life, when our mind is cluttered. In a study published in this month’s Psychological Science, the graduate student Shira Baror and I demonstrate that the capacity for original and creative thinking is markedly stymied by stray thoughts, obsessive ruminations and other forms of “mental load.” Many psychologists assume that the mind, left to its own devices, is inclined to follow a well-worn path of familiar associations. But our findings suggest that innovative thinking, not routine ideation, is our default cognitive mode when our minds are clear.

In a series of experiments, we gave participants a free-association task while simultaneously taxing their mental capacity to different degrees. In one experiment, for example, we asked half the participants to keep in mind a string of seven digits, and the other half to remember just two digits. While the participants maintained these strings in working memory, they were given a word (e.g., shoe) and asked to respond as quickly as possible with the first word that came to mind (e.g., sock).

We found that a high mental load consistently diminished the originality and creativity of the response: Participants with seven digits to recall resorted to the most statistically common responses (e.g., white/black), whereas participants with two digits gave less typical, more varied pairings (e.g., white/cloud).

In another experiment, we found that longer response times were correlated with less diverse responses, ruling out the possibility that participants with low mental loads simply took more time to generate an interesting response. Rather, it seems that with a high mental load, you need more time to generate even a conventional thought. These experiments suggest that the mind’s natural tendency is to explore and to favor novelty, but when occupied it looks for the most familiar and inevitably least interesting solution.

In general, there is a tension in our brains between exploration and exploitation. When we are exploratory, we attend to things with a wide scope, curious and desiring to learn. Other times, we rely on, or “exploit,” what we already know, leaning on our expectations, trusting the comfort of a predictable environment. We tend to be more exploratory when traveling to a new country, whereas we are more inclined toward exploitation when returning home after a hard day at work.

Much of our lives are spent somewhere between those extremes. There are functional benefits to both modes: If we were not exploratory, we would never have ventured out of the caves; if we did not exploit the certainty of the familiar, we would have taken too many risks and gone extinct. But there needs to be a healthy balance. Our study suggests that your internal exploration is too often diminished by an overly occupied mind, much as is the case with your experience of your external environment.

In everyday life, you may find yourself “loading” your mind in various ways: memorizing a list of groceries to buy later at the supermarket, rehearsing the name of someone you just met so you don’t forget it, practicing your pitch before entering an important meeting. There are also, of course, the ever-present wanderings of a normal mind. And there are more pathological, or at least more chronic, sources of mental load, such as the ruminative thought patterns characteristic of stress, anxiety and depression. All these loads can consume mental capacity, leading to dull thought and anhedonia — a flattened ability to experience pleasure.

My birthday gift to myself for the last couple of years has been a week of silence at a vipassana meditation retreat. Being silent for a week, and trying to empty your mind of thought, is not for the faint of heart, but I do wish that everyone could try it at least once. During my first retreat, I wondered how a simple tomato could taste so good, why I did not mind physical discomfort as much, how looking at a single flower for 45 minutes was even possible, let alone so gratifying. My thoughts — when I returned to the act of thinking about something rather than nothing — were fresher and more surprising.

It is clear to me that this ancient meditative practice helps free the mind to have richer experiences of the present. Except when you are flying an F-16 aircraft or experiencing extreme fear or having an orgasm, your life leaves too much room for your mind to wander. As a result, only a small fraction of your mental capacity remains engaged in what is before it, and mind-wandering and ruminations become a tax on the quality of your life. Honing an ability to unburden the load on your mind, be it through meditation or some other practice, can bring with it a wonderfully magnified experience of the world — and, as our study suggests, of your own mind.

Moshe Bar, a neuroscientist, is the director of the Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center at Bar-Ilan University and a professor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/opin ... etter.html
swamidada
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Re: Mawlana Sultan Mohamed Shah and others on Meditation

Post by swamidada »

Detroit Free Press
Detroiters explore meditation, breathing for peace as faith leader visits Detroit

Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press
Updated Fri, September 1, 2023 at 10:05 PM CDT
Growing up in Chicago and Detroit, LaTrece Cash attended Pentecostal churches and went to Catholic and Lutheran schools.

But while rooted in the Christian faith, the Detroiter said she "tried to understand different aspects of life," and so a couple of years ago, she signed up for a meditation class through a group called Art of Living.

"I love it," Cash said. "It's very helpful, helps me to relax. ... It just calms your mind. Basically, you just stop the random thoughts, and stressing and overthinking things, and just pause and concentrate on breathing. And it helps you relax your brain and relax your body."

Cash was one of about 1,200 who attended a recent group meditation and talk at Orchestra Hall in Detroit by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a faith leader from India who created Art of Living and is touring the U.S. for a series of lectures called "The Journey Within." Shankar developed the breathing techniques that Cash tried, called sky breath meditation, or Sudarshan Kriya. It's one of several ways that some in the U.S. are trying out meditation and breathing as a way to relax and connect at a time of stress and social anxiety.

"I've been traveling from coast to coast, north, south everywhere, with one message: to see America free from violence," Shankar told the Free Press at the Detroit Marriot hotel at Renaissance Center before his talk last week. "It's only the inner peace that can bring the outer peace. Mental health is a very big crisis today, all over the world. So we need to address that. ... We are teaching the sky breathing techniques, Sudarshan Kriya meditation, breathing exercise. We want to make it a household name so that people can take good care of their own mental health."

During the summer months, spiritual leaders such as Shankar often visit metro Detroit and other parts of the U.S. to give lectures or visit temples. And in August, there are usually several events highlighting Indian culture around India's independence day, including an India Day event in Novi that was held Aug. 19, attended by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, and the Chutney Festival held in Royal Oak last month, featuring Indian food and entertainment.

On tour in the U.S., Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar met with supporters on Aug. 22, 2023, at Orchestra Hall in Detroit before speaking to 1,200 people. He called for a society free of violence and disease: "It's only the inner peace that can bring the outer peace."

Shankar was raised in a Hindu family and once followed the late Maharishi, the guru the Beatles learned from after they traveled to India, known for creating Transcendental Meditation. But Shankar later formed his own group and techniques, drawing followers from different religions and ethnic backgrounds. At the Aug. 22 Orchestra Hall event in Detroit emceed by WDIV-Local 4 reporter Priya Mann, the crowd included a mix of races and religions: white, Black, Indian, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu. Two state legislators on opposite sides of the aisle in Lansing, state Rep. Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton, and state Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, met with Shankar before his talk at a reception, taking photos with him. U.S. House Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, issued a proclamation declaring Aug. 22 Gurudev Sri Sri Shankar Day in Detroit.

Shankar is continuing his tour in coming weeks and will conclude with the World Cultural Festival, an event featuring international music and food at the National Mall in Washington D.C. from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 that some metro Detroiters are planning to attend. His last two visits to metro Detroit were in 2018 and in 2008 at Renaissance Unity Church in Warren.

During his Detroit talk, Shankar spoke of what he called "a violence-free society, disease-free body," linking the health of minds and bodies to a more harmonious society.

"Let's make the society a much happier place, a better place to be," Shankar said. "And this is the essence of all religions. This is exactly what Jesus said, what Buddha said, what Muhammad said, the Hindu scriptures have said: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (Sanskrit phrase), 'The whole world is one family.'"

He then led the crowd in a meditation of about 20 minutes, where the crowd sat quiet and took deep breaths periodically.

"Let's be still," he said softly to the crowd. "Take a breath in, and relax."

Sunil Goyal, a Canton resident who meditates regularly, said he attended Shankar's talk to get inspired.

"His idea of one community, one world, and helping everybody through the meditation and having respect for each other irrespective of religion, or where you live, is what I get inspiration from," Goyal said. "He's conducting a big event in D.C. in October, and looking forward to attending that one as well."

Cash said some Christians may be reluctant to meditate because they feel it may clash with their faith, such as when it includes chanting. But, she said, "the chanting is up to you, I personally don't chant. It's just about relaxing your mind. It's the same principle for any religion that you have: Control yourself and control your thoughts and just relax and breathe."

Cash spoke with Shankar before his talk, asking him about Christians who may be interested in breathing and meditation.

"Meditation does not interfere with your ideology or with your faith," Shankar replied to Cash. "In fact, it enhances your faith. You can continue to be a churchgoer. But meditation helps you to find what you hear intellectually, make your mind sharp, help you to express yourself better without violence, helps you in many ways."

Cash also talked about the 60th anniversary of the late Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington and whether the Art of Living techniques can help reduce violence and imprisonment. Shankar spoke about Mahatma Gandhi's influence on King and how his group has worked in some prisons in the U.S. Shankar has also been involved with some conflict resolution in Iraq and Colombia. In the U.S. last year, there was a record number of suicides, a topic he addressed during his visit.

Shankar said. "To be happy, you need to calm down, you need to be centered. And an aggressive attitude or atmosphere is no good for oneself or others. Suicidal tendencies and depression has taken a toll of mankind today, all over the world."

Asked about political divisions in the U.S., Shankar offered: "I would say, see life beyond politics. There is so many other things which can unite us all. Of course, in election time, you need to make your choice. But the society getting divided on these lines, or any contentious issue is no good for the society, for the growth of the country."

https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/de ... 24911.html
kmaherali
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Re: Mawlana Sultan Mohamed Shah and others on Meditation

Post by kmaherali »

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Hello Karim,

We are super excited to announce our brand new, first-ever Art of Meditation Global Summit https://www.artofmeditationsummit.com/? ... #a_aid=hmi, a FREE, 8-day, online transformational journey exploring the depth and breadth of the profound art of meditation across diverse traditions and approaches:

- Theravada Vipassana - insight meditation & metta practice
- Zen - zazen, shikantaza, koan practice
- Tibetan - samatha-vipashyana, tonglen, mahamudra, dzogchen practice
- Vedic - breath, yoga, & meditation practice
- Abrahamic - Christian, Jewish & Sufi meditation practice
- Secular Nondual - direct awakening meditation practice
- Mainstream/Secular - mindfulness & self-compassion practice
- Neuroscience-Based - meditation practice and meditation research

Over eight powerful days, you will have the opportunity to explore and increase your understanding of how to deepen your meditation practice and make progress along the path of meditation and awakening with 55+ of the most renowned and beloved teachers of meditation teaching today, including…

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Sharon Salzberg, Deepak Chopra, Kristin Neff, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Ruth King, Jon Kabatt-Zinn, Roshi Pat Enkyo O'Hara, A.H. Almaas, Sylvia Boorstein, Roshi Norman Fischer, Amoda Maa, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, Caverly Morgan, Joseph Goldstein, Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, Krishna Das, and Cynthia Bourgeault, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and many, many more…

Join Us For Free Now https://www.artofmeditationsummit.com/? ... #a_aid=hmi and receive 3 power teaching videos with Gabor Maté, Tara Brach, and Jack Kornfield!

During the Summit, you’ll hear profound insights and receive expert guidance on a wide range of meditation methods across traditions and be able to explore different practices and techniques for developing greater peace, equanimity, psychological flexibility, self-compassion and loving kindness; for healing underlying traumas and attachment wounds, and ultimately for awakening from delusion and realizing liberation.

Join us in exploring these profound spiritual traditions and meditation practices as well as the latest neuroscientific research on meditation. This Summit is sure to be an illuminating, transformative, and unforgettable experience.

And... This extraordinary 8-day transformational journey is completely free to attend. So why not sign up today and join us for this one-of-a-kind event?

Yes... Save My Spot Now!

Join us for this amazing journey from the comfort of your own home, and…

Learn from over 55 world-class meditation teachers and experts about how to:

- Stabilize your mind and practice through calm abiding and focused attention practices
- Practice mindfulness techniques to enhance focus, clarity and happiness
- Develop self-compassion through loving kindness and mindful self-compassion practices
- Develop awareness and liberating insight, freeing yourself from dualistic confusion and patterns of reactive suffering
- Get access to powerful strategies for managing stress, and transforming anxiety, traumas, addictions and depression
- Experience profound samadhi, bliss, and ultimate freedom through deep meditation practice
- Directly experience your true nature and being through direct awakening practices
- Rewire your brain for healing and thriving through meditation and compassion practices
- Join a community of like-minded individuals on a journey of healing and personal transformation

The free streaming of the summit starts Tuesday, January 23, at 7:00 am EDT USA!

Register now and receive immediate access to powerful videos with Gabor Maté MD, Tara Brach PhD, and Jack Kornfield PhD. We will also be sharing many other resources with you between now and when the Summit opens on January 23rd, so register right away.

Experience Eight Days of Healing, Insight, Transformation, & Awakening

CLAIM YOUR FREE TICKET NOW! https://www.artofmeditationsummit.com/? ... #a_aid=hmi
Warmly,

Fleet Maull, PhD
Founder & Host
Heart Mind Institute

Art of Meditation Global Summit Team


P.S. You will have 48 hours of free streaming access to each day's sessions.

P.P.S. Claim your free ticket now by clicking here and receive 3 powerful videos with Gabor Maté, Tara Brach, and Jack Kornfield.
kmaherali
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Draw More Spiritual Experiences Into Your Life

Post by kmaherali »

Hi Karim,

Image

Have you had any deeply moving spiritual or mystical experiences in your life—the kind that helped you move from believing in our interconnectedness to first-hand experience and knowledge?

The reason I ask is that more and more people in our community are sharing these kinds of incidents with us, along with the inspiring and exciting insights and changes those experiences have catalyzed for them.

And many of the world’s most respected luminaries have had these kinds of profound “happenings” in their personal lives, too, and have found them to be deeply valuable in every aspect of their life and work.

Well, these kinds of experiences aren’t meant only for a select few! Everyone can have direct experiences with Source, and that includes you.

To help you learn how to open yourself up and invite more of those happenings into your own everyday life, three of those incredible luminaries are coming together to share their stories and insights with you in…

PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY https://api.humanitysteam.org/email/lin ... id=1133163
How to Engage in Mystical Experiences
That Can Transform Your Everyday Life

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practical spirituality webinar
A Brand-New FREE Online Video Program
Featuring New York Times bestselling author Neale Donald Walsch, and bestselling authors Tricia McCannon & Lisa Barnett

Find Out More and Register Here at No Cost https://api.humanitysteam.org/email/lin ... id=1133163

- During this free online program, you’ll discover…

- How you can have direct mystical experiences that awaken you to aspects of yourself and of the world that will catalyze deeper levels of compassion, fulfillment, and accomplishment within you

- How those experiences can strengthen your connection to others, nature, and the Universe, spurring your spiritual evolution and enhancing every moment of your day

- How Neale Donald Walsch knows it’s really God responding to him when he asks questions (and how you can, too!)

- What Tricia McCannon’s encounters with actual angels have taught her about humanity and why we are here, both as individuals and as a species

- How Lisa Barnett accesses the Akasha (a place where everything that has ever happened on Earth is recorded), and some of the paradigm-changing secrets she has learned there

- How to use the same practices these teachers do to begin to draw more mystical experiences into your day-to-day life

- How you can be a part of the larger collective story being written right now as people all over the world begin to share their own mystical experiences with others

The program will be followed by a LIVE 30-minute Q&A Session on Zoom, where you’ll be able to ask questions about anything these luminaries shared during the program.

Find out more about the ‘Practical Spirituality’ FREE Online Video Program with Neale Donald Walsch, Tricia McCannon, & Lisa Barnett

To inviting more mystical experiences into your life,
Steve


Steve Farrell

Executive Director
Humanity's Team

https://humanitysteam.org

P.S. Even if your schedule doesn’t allow you to attend the event, as long as you sign up, we’ll gladly send you a link to watch the replay afterwards.

Join Us for ‘Practical Spirituality: How to Engage in Mystical Experiences That Can Transform Your Everyday Life’
kmaherali
Posts: 25106
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2003 3:01 pm

Re: Mawlana Sultan Mohamed Shah and others on Meditation

Post by kmaherali »

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Hi Karim,

Julia here with an important Saturday message for you.

I need just 10 minutes of your time to share a bombshell memory trick about how your thoughts literally become reality.

This is not just another hack...controlling your thoughts has the power to eliminate pain, attract joy, and radically transform your entire life.

Skeptical? I don't blame you.

I recently discovered how NEGATIVE THOUGHTS could be sabotaging your brain health...leading to attracting negative events, disease, and even chronic pain over time.

Yikes!

But before you freak out...the good news is, you can rewire your brain for happiness and get rid of chronic pain!

My quick video reveals actionable steps you can take to transform your thoughts.

Watch now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVB96bSGr1A to learn:

👉 How your thoughts literally become things

👉 Simple ways to choose positive thoughts

👉 How to rewire your brain for happiness

This is the perfect thought reset to start thinking positive.

Watch now to get your brain ready to rock with good thoughts! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVB96bSGr1A

🔴 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get our weekly 10 Minute Memory Hacks to get your optimal brain health and memory.

To your better memory,

Julia

Julia Lundstrom, Neuroscience and Brain Health Educator
Simple Smart Science
swamidada
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Re: Mawlana Sultan Mohamed Shah and others on Meditation

Post by swamidada »

Spiritual DNA: Unveiling the Genetic Blueprint of Spirituality
Dr S Giridharan, MBBS, MSc, PhD, FRCP, FRCR

The Concept of Spiritual DNA:

In our pursuit of understanding the human experience, we often find ourselves exploring the depths of our existence. Beyond the physical realm, there lies a mysterious dimension – the realm of spirituality. Just as our genetic blueprint determines our physical traits, there is a growing belief that we possess a spiritual DNA that shapes our connection to the divine. Let’s assume that we do possess a spiritual DNA and explore the possible mechanisms of improving its genetic expression.

Understanding the Connection between Spirituality and Genetics:

Spirituality and genetics may seem like unrelated domains of our existence, but recent research has shed light on their profound interconnection. Our genetic makeup not only determines our physical characteristics but also influences our behaviors, beliefs, and values. Similarly, spirituality encompasses our connection with something greater than ourselves, be it a higher power, the universe, or a collective consciousness. It is through this connection that we find meaning, purpose, and transcendence. This emerging field of research, known as neurotheology, seeks to uncover the neurological and genetic underpinnings of spiritual experiences.

Genetic epidemiology research suggests that personal spirituality has a heritable component, with about 30–37% of the variance in spirituality attributed to genetics. Personality traits like lower neuroticism and higher religiousness are associated with spirituality, influencing an individual’s spiritual growth and experiences. Spirituality is also linked to positive well-being, including meaning in life, self-esteem, and better coping with stressors. Recent studies indicate a positive correlation between white matter integrity in the brain and spiritual growth. However, it’s important to remember that spirituality is a complex construct influenced by environmental and cultural factors.

To truly decipher the secrets of a possible spiritual DNA, we must first understand the science behind our genetic blueprint. Our genes, composed of DNA, contain the instructions for building and maintaining our bodies. Through complex processes of replication and transcription, our DNA produces proteins that carry out vital functions in our cells. These proteins not only influence physical traits but also regulate the expression of genes associated with mental and emotional well-being. Recent studies have shown that certain genetic variations are linked to spirituality, suggesting a biological basis for our spiritual inclinations.

Unraveling the Secrets of Spiritual DNA:

The secrets of a potential spiritual DNA lie in the intricate interplay between our genes and our spiritual experiences. While our genetic makeup provides a framework, our spiritual practices and beliefs shape the expression of these genes. Through mindfulness, meditation, prayer, or other spiritual practices, we can activate specific genes that promote well-being, resilience, and a sense of connectedness. Furthermore, our spiritual experiences can modify the way genes are expressed, resulting in measurable changes in our brain structure and function.

Spirituality plays a crucial role in shaping our genetic makeup and overall well-being. Studies have shown that individuals who identify as spiritual tend to have lower levels of stress, greater resilience in the face of adversity, and enhanced overall mental health. This may be attributed to the activation of genes associated with stress regulation, immune function, and emotional well-being. Moreover, spirituality fosters a sense of purpose, meaning, and connectedness, all of which contribute to a higher quality of life.

Tapping into one’s spiritual DNA is a deeply personal, rewarding and transformative journey. It begins with self-reflection and exploration of our beliefs, values, and experiences. Engaging in practices that promote mindfulness and self-awareness, such as meditation or journaling, can help us connect with our spiritual essence. Cultivating a sense of awe and wonder towards the natural world and engaging in acts of compassion and kindness can also facilitate a deeper connection with our spiritual DNA. Remember, spirituality is not limited to religious or traditional practices; it is a unique and personal expression of our connection to something greater.

There are various aspects that contribute to our spiritual experiences. These include our beliefs, values, rituals, and the sense of connectedness we feel with others and the universe. By exploring these aspects, we gain a deeper understanding of our spiritual DNA and how it influences our lives. Delving into different religious or philosophical traditions can provide valuable insights into diverse expressions of spirituality. Engaging in practices such as yoga, tai chi, or energy healing can also help unlock different dimensions of your spiritual blueprint.

Our spiritual inclination has a profound impact on our personal growth and fulfillment. By embracing our spiritual essence, we tap into a source of wisdom, guidance, and resilience that supports us on our life’s journey. It provides a sense of purpose and meaning, helping us navigate challenges with grace and find fulfillment in our endeavors. Moreover, connecting with our spiritual nature allows us to cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness, compassion, and empathy towards ourselves and others. This, in turn, enhances our relationships, promotes personal growth, and contributes to our overall well-being.

Techniques for Decoding and Activating Your Spiritual DNA:

Decoding and activating our spiritual DNA requires intentional and dedicated practice. Here are some techniques that will help us journey this transformative path:

Meditation: Meditation is a powerful tool for quieting the mind and connecting with our spiritual essence. Find a quiet space, sit in a comfortable position, and focus on your breath. Allow thoughts to come and go without judgment, and observe the stillness that lies within.

Mindfulness: Cultivate present-moment awareness by engaging in daily activities with full attention and intention. Whether it’s eating, walking, or interacting with others, bring a sense of mindfulness to each moment, savoring the richness of the experience.

Journaling: Reflect on your beliefs, values, and spiritual experiences through journaling. Write down your thoughts, insights, and questions, allowing your inner wisdom to unfold on the pages. Use this practice as a tool for self-discovery and self-expression. Include a section for gratitude in your journal.

Nature Connection: Spend time in nature and cultivate a sense of awe and wonder towards the natural world. Take walks in the forest, sit by the ocean, or simply observe the beauty of a sunrise or sunset. Allow the magnificence of nature to deepen your connection with your spiritual DNA.

Finding one’s purpose: This is a profound and personal endeavour that involves exploring our passions, values, and unique talents to uncover the deeper meaning and direction in our lives. By delving into self-reflection and introspection, we can identify what truly fulfills us and gives our lives a sense of significance.

Embracing the Power of Our Spiritual DNA:

Our spirituality is intricately connected to our genetic makeup, influencing our beliefs, values, and experiences. By embracing our spiritual nature, we can tap into a deep well of wisdom, resilience, and fulfillment. Engaging in the journey of self-discovery allows us to explore the various facets of our spiritual essence, enabling our spiritual DNA to guide us towards a life filled with purpose, meaning, and transcendence.
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